Car-coupling.



Patented se t. 30,1902.

W S LENNON GAR COUPLING.

(Application filed May 8, 1902 l m VENTO/i W SfLen non (No Model.)

WITNESSES UNITED STATES ATENT FFEGE.

\VATSON S. LENNON, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,283, datedSeptember 30,1902.

Application filed May 8, 1902.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WATSON S. LENNON, residing at Tucson, in the countyof Pima and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-(Joupler, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that type of car-couplingshaving knuckle coupling-jaws, and more particularly refers toimprovements on my form of knuckle coupling disclosed in my Patent No.679,629, granted July 30, 1901.

My present invention comprehends certain novel improvements in theknuckle or swinging coupling-jaw adapted to cooperate with an improvedarrangement of the draw-head mortise and locking devices for holding thejaw to its coupling position, and more particularly embodies a simpleand convenient means whereby by proper adjustment thereof thecoupling-jaw may be quickly removed from the draw-head or attachedthereto.

My invention in its more subordinate features consists in certaindetails of construction and novel arrangement of parts, all of whichwill hereinafter be fully described,and specifically pointed out in theappended claims,reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a car-body with myimproved draw-head attached. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof, taken practically on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 4 4 ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the coupling-jaw. Fig. 6 is asimilar view of one of the draw-head ears in which the coupling-head isfulcrumed. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating thecorrelation of the fulcrum portions of the couplingjaw and theinterlocking members on the draw-head ears when the jawis in its coupledposition; and Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the lock-block andlever, hereinafter referred to.

In the present form of my invention the draw-head 10 in its generalcontour is of the Janney type, it having at one side the guide-horn 10and at the opposite side a pair of ears 10", between which the knuckleor coupling member A is fulcrumed in a manner Serial No. 106,394. (Nomodel.)

presently explained. At the side adjacent the horn 10 the draw-headmortise has a vertical wall 10, that forms the lower continuation of oneside of a housing or pocket 10, formed in a cap portion 10 integrallycast with the top of the draw-head and which is provided to receive avertically-movable and gravity-dropped locking-block 11, having a socket11 to receive the end 12 of a U -shaped lift-lever 12, detachablyconnected to the block 11 by the cotter-pin 11 ,as shown. The member 12passes down through an aperture 12 in the bottom of the draw-head andmerges with the long arm 12, that extends up through a guidaaperture inthe horn part 10 of the draw-head, its upper end being flattened, as at12 and apertured to receive the end of a lift clevis,.hook, or chaincapable of being operated from the top or sides of the car in anywell-known manner. On the upper and lower walls of the draw-head mortiseare formed opposing raised surfaces (7 1), whose front edges b and rearedges b are curved on an are approximately concentric with the axialpoint of the coupling member A, provided with channels a a in the upperand lower surfaces of their inner or neck portions, the opposite edgesof which are positioned to engage and cooperate with the edges 1) and bof the surfaces (J b of the draw-head.

At its extreme outer edge the inner end of member A has a depression a,adapted to engage with the gravity-block 11 in the manner and for thepurpose presently described.

By referring now more particularly to Figs.

,2 to 7 it will be'noticed the inner face of the two cars 10 each have aprojection 1O 10 whose outer and inner edges 6] are in planes atrightangles to each other, and the inner edge e between said edges e fis concaved on an arc of a circle, and the said two projections 1O areso disposed as to cooperate with semicircular bearing portions of a onthe upper and lower faces of the neck of the coupling-jaw A, which facesalso have bearing members a a disposed at points diagonally inward fromthe bearings 0. By providing the ears 1O with projections 1O and theneck of the jaw A with bearing portions a a as described and shown, avery simple and effective means is provided for detachably fitting thejaw A between 10 10" and providing a fulcrum or hinge connectiontherefor with 'out the use of pivot-pins and the like. To fit thecoupling-jaw in place, the neck thereof is slipped between the ears 1010 and the bearings a are moved into engagement with the concaved face aof the members 10 (See Figs. 5 and 6.) When in this position, a fixedfulcrum for the jaw A is provided and the jaw held to swing freely in ahorizontal plane. When the jaw A is turned into its locked position, theparts a a, bear against the edges e of the projections 1O and said jawcannot be removed from the head; but when pin 0 is removed the jaw A canbe swung out so its fulcrum parts a a will disengage and pull away fromthe member 10. (See Fig. 7.)

So far as described it will be readily understood during a couplingaction on a straightway track the opposing jaws A will be swung inwarduntil the portions A pass from under the locking-blocks 11, which thendrop in front of said jaw portions and securely hold them locked to acoupling position. In some instances, especially on curves, thecouplingjaws sometimes do not swing back to their innermost position,and to provide for locking them in a coupled position under suchcircumstances the gravity-block will drop into engagement with thedepression a in the said jaws, it being obvious that as soon as theopposing jaws come into the same longitudinal alinement and full backpressure is applied to them they will swing inward sufficiently topermit the blocks 11 to drop entirely down.

To prevent the jaw A from swinging out too far and losing its properfulcrum-bearing when set to its uncoupled position, the under side ofthe inner end of the jaw has a segmental channel a", that terminates ina stopshoulder a adapted to cooperate with a stoppin 0, detachably heldon the bottom of the draw-head mortise, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4,a spring-key being provided for engaging the pendent end of said pin 0.When the pin 0 is in position, the, outward swing of the coupling-jaw isthereby limited to the more readily adapt the coupling-jaws for aperfect interlocking when turning curves.

Should it be desirable to,remove the jaw A from the draw-head, it isonly necessary to withdraw the pin 0 and swing the jaw to the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 7,when it may be readily slipped out ofengagement with the ears 10 10 of the draw-head 10.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed the complete operation of theseveral parts of my invention and the advantages thereof will be readilyapparent.

The several parts are especially designed for effecting an economicalconstruction of draw-head and coupling devices, all of which have aspecial cooperation and will efiectively operate for their intendedpurposes, the several parts being arranged for automatic action, theonly manual labor required being to set the lock-block 11 to itselevated position when the parts are to be uncoupled.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patcut, is-

1. A car-coupling of the character described, comprising in combination,a draw-head, a pivoted knuckle, detachably mounted on the draw-head, agravity-drop supported and endwise movable on the draw-head and normallyin position to automatically drop in front of the knuckle, when thelatter is swung into a closed position to its limit, said knuckle havinga locking-seat to receive the gravitydrop and arrest its downwardmovement, when the knuckle is swung partially back, whenon curves; anddetachably-mounted means for limiting the outward swing of the knuckle,all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling of the character described, the combination with adraw-head, having a pair of projecting ears to receive the pivotalportion of the knuckle, said ears having each a segmental shoulder aboutthe axial point, whose terminals are cut in planes at right angles toeach other; of a knuckle having slotways in its upper and lower faces,whereby the knuckle, whenadjusted to its open position, can he slippedbetween the projecting ears, said slotways having semicircular bearingsto cooperate with the aforesaid segmental shoulders, substantially asshown and described.

3. In a car-coupling of the character described, the combination with adraw-head, having a pair of projecting ears to receive the pivotalportion of the knuckle, said ears having each a segmental shoulder aboutthe axial point, whose terminals are cut in planes at right angles toeach other; of a knuckle having slotways in its upper and lower faces,whereby the knuckle, when adjusted to its open position, can he slippedbetween the projecting ears, said slotways having semicircular bearingsto cooperate with the aforesaid segmental shoulders, and means forlimiting the outward swing of the knuckle detachably mounted on the drawhead, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposesdescribed.

, WATSON S. LENNON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS GULDEN,

JOHN AUG. OLSON.

